DAY 01 : ARRIVE DELHI
Arrive Delhi in the evening. Upon arrival, you shall met & assisted with your baggages at the airport by our executive and transferred to your prebooked Hotel.

DAY 02 : DELHI
After breakfast, full day city tour of Delhi : India's capital & a major gateway to the country, contemporary Delhi is a bustling metropolis which successfully combines in its fold the ancient & the modern. Its strategic location was one of the prime reasons why successive dynasties chose it as their seat of power. New Delhi also reflects the legacy the British left behind . The division between New & Old Delhi is the distinction between the capitals of the British & the Moghuls respectively. So, wherever the visitor goes, he will invariably confront the citys’ past.

Visit Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. Built by Shah Jahan, the construction was started in 1844 and was not completed until 1658; drive past Red Fort, which was also built by Shah Jehan. This massive fort was built from 1638 to 1648; Chandni Chowk and Rajghat - the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi. Visit Humayuns Tomb : built in mid 16th century this is an early example of Mughal architecture; Qutab Minar, drive past India Gate, President House, Connaught Place. The tour ends with a visit to Laxmi Narayan Temple.

DAY 03 : DELHI - JAIPUR (260 KMS. 04-05 HRS DRIVE)
After breakfast, drive to Jaipur - The Pink City : Jaipur needed a fresh coat of paint to welcome its distinguished guest the Prince of Wales in 1905-6. The contractor inability to supply any other color in the required quantity compelled the choice of pink shade for its walls. A contractor’s compulsion famed Jaipur to Pink city. Since then the PINK color is associated with hospitality in Rajput culture. The capital city of the state of Rajasthan owes its name, its foundation and planning to the great warrior astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II. The city of Jaipur has broad avenues & sits on a dry lake bed in a wild and somewhat arid landscape, surrounded by barren hills surmounted by fortresses and crenellated walls. Upon arrival, check-in at prebooked Hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.

DAY 04 : JAIPUR
After breakfast, excursion to Amber Fort enroute witness the façade of Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds which was built in 1799.

Amber Fort - The ancient capital of the state until 1727 when Jai Singh decided to move from his hillside fortress at Amber to new site on the plains. The construction of this fort began in 1592 by Raja Man Singh, the Rajput commander of Akbar’s army. The fort is a superb example of Rajput architecture, stunningly situated on a hillside and overlooking a lake which reflects its terraces and ramparts. Visit the Jagmandir or the hall of victory glittering with mirrors, Jal Mahal & temple of Kali. Ascend on elephant back, the hill, on which the fort is situated.

Afternoon, city tour of Jaipur. Visit the Jantar Mantar – the observatory built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in 1728 ; the City Palace which is a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. It also has a museum with an extensive collection of art, carpets, paintings, enamel ware and weapons dating back to the 15th century.

DAY 05 : JAIPUR - FATEHPUR SIKRI - AGRA (240 KMS. 05 - 06 HRS. DRIVE)
After breakfast, leave for Agra, enroute visit the abandoned Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri : 37 kms before Agra, built predominantly in Red Sandstone by Emperor Akbar in 1569, was the old capital of the Mughals, which was abandoned after 15 years due to scarcity of water. Witness the graceful buildings including the Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal & other Palaces which are still preserved in its original glory.
Continue drive to Agra. Arrive Agra in the evening and checkin at prebooked Hotel for overnight stay.

DAY 06 : AGRA
At Sunrise, visit the highlight of the tour - The Taj Mahal - Epitome of Love, One of the Seven Wonders of the World - was built by Shah Jahan (King of the World) for his beloved Begum Mumtaz Mahal (the exalted of the Palace). Work on the mausoleum began in 1633 and 20,000 workers laboured for 17 years to build it. The most skilled architects, inlay craftsmen, calligraphers, stone-carvers and masons came from all across Indian and lands as distant as Persia and Turkey. The master mason was from Baghdad, an expert in building the double dome from Persia, and an inlay specialist from Delhi. The marble, India's finest was quarried at Makrana near Jodhpur, Jasper from Punjab, the garnets from Bundelkhand, Jade & Crystal from China, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis from Afghanistan and Ceylon, Chrysolite from Egypt, Amethyst from Persia, Agate from Yemen, Malachite from Russia, Diamonds from Golconda and Mother of Pearl from the Indian Ocean. Mumtaz Mahal’s final resting-place was ornamented like a queen’s jewel-box.

NOTE : TAJ MAHAL CLOSED ON FRIDAYS

Visit Red fort, Built principally as a military establishment by Akbar in 1565, the red sandstone Agra fort was partially converted into a palace during Shah Jahan's time. Though the principal structure was built by Akbar, many more additions were made by his grandsons. This massive fort is 2.5 kms long and is considered as the predecessor of the Delhi Red fort. The maze of courtyards, mosques, palaces, gardens, halls of private & public audience of the fort echo the story of the Mughal Empire.

Itmad-ud-daulah, which was constructed by Nur Jahan between 1622 and 1628 and is very similar to the tomb she constructed for her husband, Jehangir, near Lahore in Pakistan.

Afternoon, at leisure. Free for individual activities.

DAY 07 : AGRA - JHANSI (TRAIN, SHATABDI EXPRESS : 0810-1025 HRS)
                JHANSI-ORCHA-KHAJURAHO (178 KMS, 04-05 HRS DRIVE)
After breakfast, transfer to the railway station to board train for Jhansi. Arrive Jhansi and drive to Khajuraho. Enroute visit Orchha - meaning a "hidden place", certainly lives up to its name. Languishing amid a tangle of scrubby dhak forest, 18km southeast of Jhansi, the former capital of the Bundela dynasty. It possesses an imposing fort, dating from the early 17th century, which contains a number of palaces and other historic buildings. The most noteworthy of these are the Raja Rammandir, a massive square building of which the exterior is almost absolutely plain; and the Jahangirmahal, of the same form but far more ornate, a singularly beautiful specimen of Hindu domestic architecture. Numerous cenotaphs dot the vicinity of the fort and the Betwa river. Elsewhere about the town exist fine temples and tombs, among which may be noticed the Chaturbhuj temple built on a vast platform of stone.

After the visit, continue drive to Khajuraho - The city was once the original capital of the Chandela Rajputs, a Hindu dynasty that ruled this part of India from the 10th to the 12th centuries. Upon arrival, check-in at prebooked Hotel

DAY 08 : KHAJURAHO - VARANASI (FLIGHT, IT 336: 1225-1310 HRS)
After breakfast, visit the temples of Khajuraho : A World Heritage Site : The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of a hundred years, from 950 to 1050. There were originally over 80 Hindu temples, of which only 22 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation, scattered over an area of about 8 square miles (21 km²). They were rediscovered during the late 19th century and the jungles had taken a toll on some of the monuments. Both internally and externally the temples are richly carved with excellent sculptures that are frequently sensual and, at times, sexually explicit. The temples are divided into three complexes—the western is the largest and best known, containing the magnificent Shaivite temple Kandariya Mahadev, a 31m high agglomeration of porches and turrets culminating in a spire.

Afternoon, transfer to the airport to board for Varanasi - the oldest living city in the world & one of the most sacred pilgrimage places for Hindus of all denomination. These few lines by Mark Twain say it all: "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together". It is situated on the west bank of the holiest of all Indian rivers, the Ganga or Ganges. The relationship between the sacred river and the city is the essence of Varanasi - 'the land of sacred light'

Arrive Varanasi and transfer to your prebooked Hotel

DAY 09 : VARANASI
Early morning, leave for boat ride on the Ganges to see the bathing Ghats (river bank) & cremation site. Sunrise on the riverfront, as seen from a boat, can be a spiritually uplifting sight. The life on the Ghats bound in an endless string of rituals, ever-changing aspects of the river & the wide landscape across have fascinated visitors from all over the world. Return to hotel for breakfast.

After breakfast, city tour of Varanasi - Visit the Bharat Mata temple with a big relief map of India in Marble, Durga temple, Tulsi Manas Mandir, Benaras Hindu University which has an art gallery & the mosque of Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb.

Afternoon, excursion to Ramnagar - For a 17th century fort, this one is seriously well-preserved, probably because the Maharaja of Benares still resides here. The hall of public audience (Durbar Hall) and the royal museum housing collections of palanquins, elephant saddles, arms, furniture, costumes, etc., are a must see at the Ramnagar fort . Return by boat in the evening, enroute witness the religious ceremonies along the banks of river Ganges.

DAY 10 : VARANASI - DELHI (FLIGHT, SG 119 : 1605-1730 HRS)
Morning, excursion to Sarnath - the buried Buddhist city where Buddha preached his first sermin. After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath; and it was here that he preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma'. It is one of the most holy sites as in this place the stream of the Buddha's teaching first flowed. Sarnath was a renowned school or learning from 16th century BC to 12th century AD. Visit the ruins, the stupa, the Buddhist temple & the museum (closed on Fridays). At the museum is the Ashok Pillar with its four guardian lions, used as independent India's national emblem.

Afternoon, transfer to the airport to board flight for Delhi. Arrive Delhi and transfer to prebooked hotel.

DAY 11 : DEPART DELHI
Transfer to the airport to board your flight for onward destination.

The above tour programme can be modified as per your requirements. For any modification, please mail us